According to US Central Command, at least six airstrikes were carried out by US forces over the past week in Yemen. The strikes were intended to targeted the local al-Qaeda affiliate in al-Bayda Province.
As usual, Centcom offered no casualty data or any details of who was
hit, or who was even the intended target. Bayda is known as a major
haven for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) but strikes into the
province aren’t necessarily productive to that US air war.
The reason Centcom discussed the matter at all seems to have been to
clarify that this was part of an anti-al-Qaeda campaign, and not in any
way related to the Saudi invasion of Yemen. Despite that, Centcom says
that the operation was coordinated with the Saudi-backed government.
Centcom further said that they’ve launched eight strikes overall in 2019,
including two in January. One of the January strikes was accused of
killed Jamal al-Badawi, who was accused of being involved in the USS
Cole bombing.
Trumps’ opinion of the congressional effort to end US involvement in the Yemen war.
Suuure. This “branch” of Al-Qaeda was set up by Saudi intellugence person, to secure the region for Saudi influence after the war. But mostly recruited among independence minded population. At present, It is curiouser and curiouser.. UAE is no longer eager to stab MbS in the back by servjng US interests. But doing some solo bombing? What for? To demonstrate power? And whoever is bombed must be “Al-Qaeda” or be in on bombing Cole. Except in Syria, Al-Qaeda is good. Enough rubbish. No groups are independent. They depend fully on their sponsors, for everything. Food, arms, money, cars, gas, intelligence, telecom, salaries, computers. Attack them — and you attack the sponsor. So, who did US attack really? Saudis.
When are we going to get it — Saudi Arabia snd US are frenemies. Pretend to work together, but since June 2017, each has different objective. From that time up until Kashoggi murder, US favored UAE — giving it ll sorts of help, including US nercenaries to assasinate Saudi supported Hadi politicians and military groups. But after Saudi Allegiance Council backed up MbS in Kashoggi matter, and he purged intelligence, UAE was brought back into Saudi fold. So, stalemate. This Al-Baida move will not go unanswered. Anothe shoe will drop. The only issue for US is to establish military footprint on the Arabian side of Bab Al Mandeb. Saudis are not keen. Neither is Hadi, nor Houthis, nor independent minded two southern former Sultanates. Yemeni people starvation is the game of chicken — see who will be forced to take the blame snd be shamed into giving them access to food. With neither party suffering from shame — this can go on.